If Melanie LaForce suddenly found herself showered with $$$ from a wealthy suitor, the first thing she'd do is spend some on dining and drinking at Chicago's most established spots.

LaForce (who goes by the handle "Riley Coyote") is a jammer and blocker for the Double Crossers, one of four home teams in the Windy City Rollers professional roller derby league. This means, of course, that this high-energy athlete can eat and drink as she pleases, so if she had the funds, she wouldn't hold back!

Her first stop would be Alinea ("It's sort of a dream place, and you always hear about its cutting-edge dishes. Plus, it won't be in my budget for a long time.").

She also had these gems about some of her other fave spots:

"I would get Asado coffee every morning, and Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate) treats every night before bed with a Whistler cocktail (The Last Straw made with Broker’s Gin, green chartreuse, lemon, Maraschino, egg white)."

"(Chaise Lounge Executive Chef) Cary Taylor is part of a small group that uses local product and cooks from the heart. The need to bash Cary, or any other restaurant seems pointless.

"Why not focus on something even slightly relevant for just one little second or two? And by all means, realize that newer restaurants can be seriously hurt by your tounge and cheek bullshit and speculation.

"People like Cary work long and hard to make a solid living that should not be compromised for a cute storyline. Check your facts!"

Also know that Taylor once worked for Kahan at Blackbird, so he's not just defending him for the sake of it!

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The Dish:

Audarshia Townsend's introduction to the online world began as one of the first two editors at metromix.com--where they set the tone for the entertainment site's cutting-edge style. She also has written lifestyle features for the Chicago Tribune, Essence, Los Angeles Times, Michigan Avenue, about.com, playboy.com, Huffington Post, DiningChicago.com, World's Best Bars and Upscale magazine. Additionally, she has appeared regularly on CLTV, WGN-TV and WCIU-TV's "You & Me This Morning" for cocktail-, dining- and nightlife-related features. In 2007, Audarshia launched 312DiningDiva.com, a daily dining-and-drinking blog keeping readers up to date on Chicago happenings. Her interests include staying fit with a regular Forrest Yoga practice, cycling in the city, and Flywheel Chicago classes.